SUV buyers undeterred by warnings of risk to pedestrians, UK study finds

Earlier studies have shown that SUVs and other oversized domestic vehicles are more dangerous than standard cars for pedestrians and cyclists. Photograph: Jessica Hromas/The Guardian

Drivers who are told about the safety risks posed by SUVs to cyclists and pedestrians are very unlikely to be deterred from buying one, a new study has found.

The findings indicate that if governments want to reduce the number of large, dangerous vehicles on the roads, it is likely to require financial penalties, according to the psychologists at Swansea University who led the research.